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Reading Post news editor Sarah Hamilton pulls on her glove to investigate the world of white collar boxing.

There's a large crucifix high on the wall inside Emmanuel Church Centre in Woodley. And on its sides it says ‘Lord of Lords, King of Kings’.

Beneath it are 26 sweaty men hoping to be both these things when they enter the boxing ring at Rivermead Leisure Centre in May.

But these are no hard-nosed barnburning bruisers used to speaking with their fists.

Instead, an estate agent, accountant, IT manager, scaffolder and business manager are among those wanting to experience their own Fight Club, their own ‘Rocky moment’, in white collar boxing tournament Zero To Hero.

The programme takes place across the country from Cannock to Hastings – it’s Bristol’s sixth season while this is Reading’s first time in the ring.

The idea is over 10 weeks, couch potato office workers are transformed into toned and honed fighters, fit in mind as well as body to become champs on fight night.

Boxers are just entering week six this week and will soon be split into teams red and blue and their opponents decided.

I joined the contenders on one of their earlier training sessions, a significant moment as it was their first time sparring, getting through the experience of being socked in the face for the first time.

Team Blue coach Phil Else, 29, who runs West Reading-based mixed martial arts gym Gods of War, said: “A lot of men want that Rocky moment. To quote Fight Club, how much can you know yourself if you’ve never been in a fight?

“Some people have done kickboxing, MMA, other sports, they’ve got tattoos and are ready to rock [but] anyone can get in shape and push it.

“It’s a 10-week opportunity to have that Rocky moment and prove it to themselves.”

He continued: “We’re in week four now, some guys are very white collar, others in the fitness industry, some have friends who box and want to do it themselves, some guys are manual labourers, blue collar workers and always wanted to do it.

“And one guy is raising money for charity.

“A lot of shows you see a lot of mismatches, but here because we know them so well and because they’ve trained together you know they will be a good match.

“We’re not interested in anyone going and getting hurt. Ideally all fighters will go the distance. We want that Rocky moment, not just going in and beating someone up.

“It’s about being terrified but overcoming it, being tired and overcoming it, going over their boundaries. If someone goes in there and they smash it in 10 seconds, they have lost that opportunity so they’ve not overcome anything if they smash it in 10 seconds.

“It’s more about the scoring, We want a good, exciting fight, but part of that is the experience.

“One or two guys have already smashed their records. It’s about strength, skill and will, all three are inter-related. The skill is about your strategy and will about the mental game and your heart.”

Fighters also get ‘innovation sessions’ with a psychologist, visualisation to improve their performance on the night, breathing exercises, thinking about their persona – the idealist version of you.

Phil said: “So many people limit themselves, you look at someone with a six-pack and say I could never do it, but you can.

“No-one’s genuinely scared, so no-one knows how good they can be because they have never had to overcome it.

“Even between the bells, all that’s going to matter is they win but in reality they don’t owe their team victory, they owe them their best, the pride of working hard. It’s teaching them the importance of focusing on the process than going to get a bit of metal at the end of it.”

Phil’s co-coach, of Team Red, Chris Djaelani, 32, from Earley, “likes to look pretty” according to Phil but is also a kickboxing champion as well as being a PE teacher at Furze Platt School in Maidenhead.

“I love everyone’s energy and enthusiasm, they’ve all chosen to be here for the right reasons. We have the Hemani brothers [sons of Westcoast boss Joe Hemani], a helicopter repair man for the police, a builder, doorman, an ad company worker, a plumber.

“Training is going to see more and more sparring, you can’t train in a gym for this. Nothing is going to simulate getting punched in the face and pushed in the stomach.”

After several rounds of sparring (with follow-up advice), squats begin with the final challenge of keeping a plank for as long as possible ending an exhausting group training session.

I’ve stopped noticing the sweaty funk I walked into earlier that evening and leave with admiration and a little bit of envy at the opportunity these guys have in the palms of their boxing gloves.